Soundbox
A Mobile Play Space activation
Transforming non-playful areas into a musical playgrounds to engage communities and shape the future of civic spacesPlay Everywhere
The Civic Design Center’s Soundbox was funded by a KABOOM Play Everywhere Grant. It was created to inspire kids to play every day and to incorporate it into their normal routines. This innovation brings play to unexpected, but everyday spaces, making play easy and available for kids and families.
While a playground can provide a joyful oasis for play, play must be available in other places where kids, and their caregivers, are already spending their limited time. The Soundbox encourages people to visit routine and unexciting spaces like the laundromat, grocery store, sidewalk, or bus stop with a new lens. The Soundbox can provide a transitional urban play solution that inspires the community to advocate for more stimulating, creative play spaces in their daily routines.
Soundbox “Passport”
The Soundbox is a tool that looks to temporarily activate underutilized space with playful musical elements to help vision the future of transitional play spaces. It has successfully helped inspire several play spaces. Follow the passport below to see all of the places the Soundbox has been!
Napier Sudekum Pedestrian Bridge PlazaIn Shaping The Healthy Community: The Nashville Plan, this location was an area that was recommended to improve with public space activations. Along with Metro Nashville Public Works, the Design Center has helped to make improvements and advocate for the plaza area at the end of the pedestrian bridge to be a more enjoyable space, in turn, promoting the pedestrian experience between the Sudekum Apartments and the SoBro area. This was the first location that the Soundbox was deployed after it was built in 2017.
Kossie Gardner Sr. Park on Jefferson StreetThe Civic Design Center used the Soundbox as an engagement tool in the future park space on Jefferson Street. Nashville Metro Water originally acquired the property to use as a repository, but community leaders suggested it be turned into a park instead of paving over the project. The Civic Design Center was brought in to help with community engagement work to provide visions for the future park space. The Soundbox was deployed for several months to get input from youth for programing the park.
Madison Library ParkWorking with Design Your Neighborhood Students, the Design Center brought the Soundbox to Madison to start to vision future park space behind the Nashville Public Library Madison Branch. Since then, the land has been designated as Metro Nashville Parks and the Design Center will help to visualize the future of the space by holding public engagement and information sessions.
OneC1TY Container LandThe Soundbox was placed in the OneC1TY development to activate open greenspace near Avo (a restaurant). It rested there with other buildings that were made of shipping containers which were used as placeholders for future permanent buildings.
Donelson Library Plaza ParkDuring Donelson Plaza Palooza on May 22, 2021, the Soundbox not only provided a space for kids to play, but it got everyone thinking about what the future of public space could look like in Donelson.
Nashville Public Library Donelson BranchJune 27th, 2022, the Soundbox moved to the Nashville Public Library Donelson Branch to make way for construction to begin on the Future Library in Donelson. The Soundbox will create a noise barrier for the Nashville Public Library Donelson Branch and will be used as a backdrop for some programs throughout the year.
Nashville Public Library Southeast Branch
On April 13th, 2023 the beloved mobile play space, known for activating transitional spaces for children, made its way from the Donelson Library to the South East Branch Library. This vibrant and innovative mobile play space has provided countless hours of entertainment, education, and community bonding. With its bright colors, engaging activities, and interactive exhibits, it sparks the imaginations of children of all ages. The move to the South East Branch Library ensures that even more families will have access to this unique experience and the opportunity to explore and learn through play.
Where should the Soundbox go next?